Even your grandmother could name Batman’s sidekick or home base (or maybe both). The Dark Knight is arguably the world’s most popular superhero and one of the most iconic and influential fictional characters of all time. Celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of his first appearance, in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), with this panel of influential creators and interpreters of Batman entertainment, all of whom were fans first. (Bring your grandmother.)

Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon speak with Whitney Matheson at the Apple Store on July 12th at 6pm!

Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon have made over a billion dollars for Hollywood studios and banked bushels of cash for themselves with hit movies like “Night at the Museum” and “The Pacifier.” Join them for a discussion about their new book, “Writing Movies for Fun and Profit: How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can, Too!” They’ll also share their hard-earned insider knowledge on how to structure, pitch, write, and drink with the best of them.

USA Today’s Whitney Matheson posted details about her SDCC 2010 party on her blog:

Please join me for Pop Candy’s Comic-Con meetup July 24 at 5:30 p.m. The whole shebang will take place at Wine Steals, an awesome (and convenient) wine/cocktail bar located at 793 and 795 J St. in San Diego. We’ll be partying on the rooftop patio.

A note about the poster: Yes, it’s really in 3-D! You can see it on the blog, but it looks especially awesome when blown up full size. Here’s a PDF of the full-size version, in case you’d like to print it. All meetup attendees will receive a pair of Pop Candy 3-D glasses as a special souvenir.

Another bonus: The first 75 people who show up to the party will receive an exclusive Hasbro Comic-Con 2010 collectible. Hasbro’s brands include (but are not limited to): Marvel, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake. Exciting!

The event is free and open to all ages. An RSVP is encouraged but not required at popcandy@usatoday.com. I can’t wait to see you there.

See also outlined her panel appearances:

On Saturday afternoon I’ll be on the “Comics Across All Media” panel alongside several friends/heroes of mine: Brad Meltzer, Paul Feig, Chip Kidd and Michael Uslan.

Here’s the official description:

12:30-1:30 Comics Across all Media

Paul Feig (creator of Freaks and Geeks), Chip Kidd (Shazam!: The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal), Whitney Matheson (USA TODAY’s Pop Candy blog), Brad Meltzer (The Inner Circle), and Michael E. Uslan (The Dark Knight) are five superstars who make headlines in television, the graphic arts, journalism, novels and film. But they all have comics in common. As they reunite for another visit, join them for a discussion of all things nerd. It’ll be like a 21st century Breakfast Club — but with even better references. Moderated by audiobook star Scott Brick (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant). Room 24ABC

Tip: We’ve done this panel before, and it was really popular, so you might want to line up early.

I’ll also be moderating a panel Thursday afternoon with the awesome team at Radical Axis Studios! Here’s that description:

The team from Radical Axis — animators, artists, and amateur magicians — celebrate the studio’s 10th Anniversary with a look back at its body of work that includes Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Squidbillies, and other cartoon insanity. Scott Fry (CEO), Craig Hartin (VP of production) and Todd Redner (animation director) are joined by friend/collaborator Matt Maiellaro (co-creator, Aqua Teen Hunger Force) for a no-holds-barred Q&A with USA TODAY’s Whitney Matheson. Room 6A

JUNE 16TH, MILWAUKIE, OR–Three leaders in pop culture have come together for a groundbreaking new program to bring comics to your desktop, doorstep, and digital TV! Following up on the success of USA Today’s Wednesday Comics program, it was announced today that the nation’s top-selling print newspaper will bring comics to the forefront of culture yet again. The program will showcase exclusive and all-new original content from Dark Horse Comics’ top properties and creators across a variety of media platforms.

“As an entertainment company, Dark Horse prides itself on pushing the boundaries with groundbreaking creators and content,” said Mike Richardson, president and publisher of Dark Horse Comics. “We’re excited to continue this tradition by showcasing some of our most exciting stories in this all-new program with these great partners.”

“As a leader in home entertainment built on Toshiba’s rich 130-year history of groundbreaking technologies, we are proud to associate our products, including our new LED HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players, with the compelling and legendary Dark Horse brand,” said Maria Repole, vice president of communications for Toshiba. “This truly exciting campaign will help Toshiba build a connection with a passionate group of consumers eager to experience fresh content in innovative ways.”

“USA Today is excited to be partnering with Toshiba and Dark Horse on this innovative program. It’s a terrific example of how USA Today can take exclusive content and turn it into a compelling cross-platform reader experience,” said Susan Lavington, senior vice president of marketing for USA Today.

The DH:HD (Dark Horse: High-Def) program kicks off today with an exclusive look at best-selling author Janet Evanovich’s first graphic novel, Troublemaker, in USA Today. The newspaper and Toshiba will maintain momentum by continuing to showcase Dark Horse’s content online, in print, and at the Comic-Con International in San Diego and New York Comic Con. In October, Dark Horse will roll out a series of all-new stories created exclusively for the program.

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and bestselling prose author, Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as The Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, their highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Mass Effect, Tim Burton, Serenity and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.

About Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.

Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. (“TACP”) is owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, a world leader in high technology products with subsidiaries worldwide. TACP markets and sells a full line of home entertainment products, including flat panel TVs, Hi-Definition Blu-ray Disc players, TV/DVD Combination products and portable devices. TACP is headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey. For additional information, please visit www.tacp.toshiba.com or www.toshibatv.com.

About USA TODAY

USA TODAY was founded in 1982 with a mission to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its flagship newspaper and popular Web site, USA TODAY engages the national conversation and connects readers online through social media applications. USA TODAY, the nation’s number one newspaper in print circulation with a total average daily print circulation of more than 1.8 million, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper Web site which launched in 1995, reach a combined 5.9 million readers daily. The USA TODAY news and information brand also includes: USA TODAY Education, USA TODAY Mobile, and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

“Blu-ray Disc” and “Blu-ray” are trademarks of Blu-ray Disc Association.